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1. Introduction

   In: American Teens Talk! Format(s): E-book, Text

   The interviews in American Teens Talk! give learners a view into the lives of adolescents in the U.S. Through the written and audio format of the interviews, learners are able to increase their vocabulary, practice their reading and listening skills, engage in discussions, and learn more about U.S. culture.

2. Possible Activities

   In: American Teens Talk! Format(s): MP3, Text

   The interviews in American Teens Talk! give learners a view into the lives of adolescents in the U.S. Through the written and audio format of the interviews, learners are able to increase their vocabulary, practice their reading and listening skills, engage in discussions, and learn more about U.S. culture.

3. Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   Educators need to learn how best to use the increasingly popular mobile phone technology to support learning in the language classroom. This author outlines the benefits as well as potential problems and solutions of mobile phone use, giving twenty practical ideas for classroom activities, such as using a voice recorder to capture conversations outside the classroom.

4. Lesson Plan: Baseball Stories, Cards,and Interviews

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers an opportunity for students to practice their language skills and learn more about the sport of baseball. There are three activities (that will take at least one class period each) aimed at a variety of levels. Students create baseball cards of themselves and flash cards about the sport, and participate in interview role-plays as famous baseball players. Extension activities are included.

5. Reading to Speak: Integrating Oral Communication Skills

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Although students want to practice speaking English, they do not have many opportunities to do so in the Chinese EFL system. This often results in something called 'mute English.' This article suggests a greater integration of skills through reading to speak activities. The author includes activities for reading to act, reading to debate, and reading to interview. These activities move students away from a focus on form, allowing students to be creative and build fluency.

6. Reciprocal Teaching: A Useful Tool in Increasing Student-Talking Time

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   Reciprocal Teaching (RT) can be used to increase student talk time and improve communicative competence. This strategy uses paraphrasing, reported speech, question formation and concept-checking to promote dialogue. As students move from short responses toward longer conversations (or language for transactional purposes), their fluency and retention increase. These “long turns” provide important practice. The author also emphasizes the importance of prompts for lower-level students. The article includes examples of each strategy as well as several axioms of reciprocal teaching.

7. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "Maps and Legends" by Michael Chabon

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan is based on the article “Maps and Legends” by novelist Michael Chabon and is for high intermediate to advance students. The lesson includes group and pair work. Students discuss the neighborhood where they grew up. They read the text and identify unfamiliar words, then answer comprehension questions in writing or discussion groups. Post-reading activities include scanning, inferring meaning from context, dictionary practice, and discussion questions. The lesson ends with questions to make connections beyond the text and project ideas.

8. A Tale of Two Animals

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   An Indonesian fable is the theme of this three-part lesson for young learners. Students practice with the past-tense verbs used in the fable. By listening, reading and ordering the sentences, and copying a paragraph of the story, students become very familiar with the fable. The lessons finish with homework to write a play based on the fable. Students may select and perform the best play from their group.

9. Classroom Activities

   In: English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This section presents three stand-alone English language-learning activities related to boats.

10. Rock and Roll English Teaching: Content-Based Cultural Workshops

    In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 4 Format(s): Text

    This article considers content-based cultural workshops. With a focus on cultural content and a relaxed, engaging atmosphere, students practice language and cooperative learning strategies. The author describes the process of developing such a workshop as an extracurricular activity for a large, mixed audience. The article details an example interactive workshop on rock and roll and includes an appendix of useful websites related to the topic.

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